How to create consistent characters in Midjourney?
To keep the same character across images in Midjourney, feed it a reference image. On the newest model (V7), use Omni-Reference by adding --oref plus your image URL, and control its strength with --ow. On older V6 models, use Character Reference (--cref). Both make new scenes reuse your character's face and look.
Why — the first-principles explanation
Every time you run a prompt, Midjourney starts from fresh random noise, so by default it invents a brand-new person each time. Consistency requires giving the model an anchor it can lock onto, an image that says 'make the character look like this.'
That's what reference tools do. Omni-Reference (the V7 method, using --oref) and the older Character Reference (--cref, for V6) both let you attach a reference image URL. The model extracts the character's facial features and overall appearance and carries them into the new scene. A weight parameter, --ow for Omni-Reference or --cw for Character Reference, tells the model how strongly to copy: high values lock the whole look, low values keep only the face while letting outfits and scenes change.
Even without reference tools, two tricks help. Fixing the seed (--seed) keeps the random starting point identical, so small prompt changes yield similar results. And detailed, repeated descriptions, same age, hair, eye color, and clothing every time, narrow the range of faces the model can produce. Combining a reference image with consistent wording gives the strongest results.
An example that makes it click
Imagine a police sketch artist. If you just say 'draw a woman,' you get a different woman every time. But if you hand the artist a photo and say 'this exact person, now put her on a beach,' the sketches stay consistent. Omni-Reference is that photo you keep handing over. The weight setting is you saying 'copy her exactly' versus 'just keep the face, change the outfit.'
How to do it
- Generate or choose a clear, high-quality image of your character and copy its URL.
- On V7, add --oref followed by the image URL to the end of your new prompt.
- Adjust adherence with --ow (Omni Weight); higher values copy the character more strictly.
- On older V6 models, use --cref with the image URL and --cw to set character weight.
- Keep character descriptions (age, hair, clothing) consistent across prompts for best results.
- For extra stability, reuse the same --seed value across generations.
Key facts
- V7 uses Omni-Reference (--oref) for character consistency; --cref is the older V6 method.
- --ow (Omni Weight) controls how strongly the reference is applied on V7.
- --cw (character weight) ranges 0-100 on V6: 100 copies face, hair, and clothes; 0 copies face only.
- Fixing --seed keeps the random starting point constant for more repeatable results.
- A single high-quality reference image plus consistent wording gives the best consistency.
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Want the same character to show up again and again in Midjourney? By default it can't, because every prompt starts from random noise and invents a new face. The fix is to give it a reference image to lock onto. On the newest model, version 7, you use Omni-Reference: add the tag --oref followed by your image's link at the end of your prompt. Then use --ow to set how strongly it copies your character, high to lock the full look, lower to keep just the face while changing outfits. On older version-6 models, you'd use --cref instead. Two bonus tricks: reuse the same seed number, and describe your character the same way every time, same hair, same eyes, same clothes. Combine a reference image with consistent wording, and your character stays recognizable across every scene.
What authoritative sources say
People also ask
What's the difference between --oref and --cref?
--oref (Omni-Reference) is the newer V7 tool for consistency, while --cref (Character Reference) works on V6. --cref is not compatible with V7.
Can I use a real photo as a reference?
Yes, you can use any clear image URL, but avoid recreating identifiable real people for public or commercial use to reduce legal and policy risk.
Why does my character still change slightly?
AI references guide but don't perfectly clone. Use a high-quality reference, raise the weight, keep descriptions consistent, and reuse the seed for tighter results.
Do I need a specific plan?
Reference features work on any paid plan. There is no free plan as of 2026-07.